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Clinical Trial
. 1999 Dec;43(12):2869-72.
doi: 10.1128/AAC.43.12.2869.

Azithromycin as treatment for disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex in AIDS patients

S L Koletar  1 , A J Berry, M H Cynamon, J Jacobson, J S Currier, R R MacGregor, M W Dunne, D J Williams
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Azithromycin as treatment for disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex in AIDS patients

S L Koletar et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1999 Dec.

Abstract

This multicenter, randomized, dose-ranging study was performed to determine the safety and efficacy of two different doses of azithromycin for treating disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in patients with AIDS. Eighty-eight AIDS patients with symptoms and blood cultures consistent with disseminated MAC were treated with 600 or 1,200 mg of azithromycin daily for 6 weeks; 62 patients completed the entire 6 weeks of study. Of note, this study was done prior to the time when combination antiretroviral or anti-MAC regimens were the standard of care. Over the 6-week study period, symptomatic improvement was noted in both dose groups. Microbiological responses were comparable, with mean decreases of 1. 5 and 2.0 log CFU/ml in the high- and low-dose groups, respectively. Sterilization of blood cultures occurred in 54% of samples; patients with lower baseline colony counts were more likely to achieve culture negativity. Resistance developed in one patient. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common side effects and were more frequent in patients receiving 1,200 mg. Azithromycin is a useful alternative treatment for disseminated MAC infection in AIDS patients. Symptomatic improvement correlates with measurable decreases in mycobacterial load.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Changes in quantitative mycobacteremia in patients responding to treatment with azithromycin. Error bars represent standard errors. CI, confidence interval.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
Relationship between degree of mycobacteremia at baseline and subsequent sterilization of blood cultures in patients responding to treatment with azithromycin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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